Back Then, And Now
by Carlaous
Summary: Months ago, he was number one/super rookie Rukawa.. today, he is nothing. ONE-SHOT


**A/N:** Ahem, hello there.. umm i wrote this long ago, and when i found it among my files i was like what was i thinking writing this? but here i am now publishing it lol.. i guess publishing two previous stories gave me the courage to do this. i can't promise you will like it but give it a try?

Kindly note that English isn't my first language ^^'

* * *

" _Defense defense defense defense" the crowd shouted for the last ten minutes encouraging the team to keep their clean sheet for what is left from the fourth quarter._

 _Panting heavily, wiping his sweat with the back of his hand as his eyes roamed around locating his teammates. Rukawa singled to his senior Akira to move forward as they were waiting to the opponent to make his move. Finally making a move, the opponent jumped aiming the hoop then threw the ball towards it. Eyes widening, breaths caught and the ball was moving slowly to the hoop._

 _A hand caught the ball before going through. And cheers echoed ending the silence._

" _REBOUND" shouted Sakuragi to his teammates before passing the ball to Akira as he started running towards the other side of the court. An opponent player appeared in front of him forcing him to stop and look around, He caught Rukawa looking at him; then did a no-look pass that made the crowd get crazier. Rukawa jumped high after receiving the ball and slammed it into the hoop almost breaking it. He couldn't suppress the grin that plastered on his face and hugged his closest teammate as the others started jumping on them._

* * *

He bounced the ball lazily as his other hand was grapping his back bag over his shoulder, he looked at the small court and saw the small kids stopped playing and looking at him waiting to get their ball back. One of them came towards him running to get the ball. He threw it to him before he reached him and left the court quietly.

* * *

"Basketball team players head to the training court, Basketball team players head to the training court" the coach announced through the microphones. He looked to the window ignoring the low whispers, he would've got up and went with them, but this time he's not one of them. He looked at his knee and sighed fighting the flashbacks of that night. Then felt a hand patting his shoulder quickly before being removed. He looked up to only see Akira's back as he headed with the rest of his teammates, he then allowed his mind to take him back in time.

" _I'm sorry Rukawa, you can't play any kind of sport anymore" the doctor said with a sympathetic tone to the raven-haired boy, who shot him a look of disbelief._

 _After hearing the doctor he felt like the world had stopped and missed hearing his mother muffled sob. Looking at his covered knee not believing what he heard._

" _But you said I can play after the surgery? H-how..." his voice trailed as he looked at the doctor. "Your anterior cruciate ligament is beyond wrecked, and it cannot be treated. I'm sorry there is nothing we can do about it" answered the doctor before lowering his head and leaving the room. Rukawa face remained shocked and didn't take his eyes off where the doctor was standing even when his mom hugged him and started crying on his shoulder._

* * *

"You know you have a lot of things to do other than sports, it's not the end of the world. You will grow out of it eventually" His father said with a cold tone as he sipped his coffee while reading some papers.

"Hn" Said Rukawa ignoring his father.

"And that is a reason why you should focus more on your studies; I want you to become a lawyer. At least now you can have a future" said his father again but this time looking straight at him with a meaningful look.

"I'm going to school" Rukawa said quietly getting up leaving the table.

"Rukawa! You didn't finish your breakfast!" his mom exclaimed yet the only response she got was the door being closed.

"Stop doing this to the poor boy"

"Hn"

* * *

 _He drove between the players taking all of them down clearing his path towards the hoop; he jumped high and threw the ball swiftly knowing there's no one will care enough to stop it. It is the last thirty seconds of the fourth quarter and they are already winning by a 34 point difference, well now it's 37 and that's all thanks to him. Cheers got louder as the referee shouted "Three points"._

 _His teammates started hugging each other and celebrating after the referee blew the whistle. Forcing him into a group hug as they sang his "fangirls" song._

" _RU KA WA, RU KA WA, you can never stop our RU KA WA" everyone sang happily while waiting for their trophy to be delivered._

 _He looked up to the crowd searching for his parents, his eyes lit up when he saw his mom smiling proudly with a tearful eyes then waved to him. He smiled and nodded to her, looking at her side expecting his father will be there, but he found a stranger instead. Furrowing his eyebrows, he looked at his mother again only to see her shaking her head apologetically to him singling that his father didn't come._

* * *

" _You have an incredible talent that is cannot be denied. But Rukawa, do you think you're ready to face a professional players who are in a whole new level?" asked Akagi as he passed a water bottle to Rukawa who was sitting on floor panting._

" _I think so" said Rukawa and sipped from the water before splashing some on his face._

" _Don't risk it Rukawa, you still have two years ahead of you. You can train more and work on yourself until you assure yourself that you're ready to take any challenge that's waiting for you there"_

" _Hn" he said making Akagi sigh and give convincing him._

* * *

" _I thought we talked this out million times Rukawa and yet I don't see any changes or even trying" he scolded his son for the millionth time._

" _Hn"_

 _He couldn't take the nonchalant behaviors anymore and slammed his hand on the table making his wife flinch._

" _I didn't raise you to chase some plastic ball, I want you to become something big. And chasing plastic balls clearly won't give you that, only studies does. And judging by your grades you aren't going anywhere far" he ranted while glaring at Rukawa._

" _j-just let him do what he loves" his wife tried interfering smiling weakly at him._

" _Don't interfere this, woman" he told her without taking his eyes of Rukawa._

" _Hn" said Rukawa returning the glare to him._

" _You will focus on your studies from now on"_

" _Hn"_

" _I expect a straight-As"_

" _Hn"_

" _No more failed exams"_

" _Hn"_

" _And to achieve all or that, you're leaving the team"_

" _Never"_

 _He watched Rukawa standing and glaring at him for a bit then left the house quietly, again._

* * *

"You have done very well recently Rukawa, I'm impressed. Well done" said his teacher to him as he rested the exam paper on the teacher's desk after checking his grade.

"Hn" Rukawa said before leaving the classroom heading outside to the campus, he walked lazily to his tree and laid under its shadow, he closed his eyes and sighed trying to sleep. He didn't mind the footsteps sounds or the mummers, yet the sound that came out of the training curt is irking him. The sound of the ball hitting the floor or the shouts of the players was really annoying. Damn, his nap is ruined. Letting out another sigh he got up and got back to the classroom.

* * *

"Kaede, we are having a boys night out, are you in?" Akira's voice beamed in Rukawa's ears and he felt the weight of Akira's arm around him

"I'll pass" Rukawa answered ignoring Akira

Akira titled his head while facing Rukawa "hmm? Come on don't be such a girl, we hadn't hung out since forever. Everyone's coming" Akira tightened his arm around Rukawa trying to convince him.

"I don't feel like it"

A voice interrupted him that belonged to a red-headed

"Hey, who do you think you are? Stop acting like you're better than us you bastard" growled Sakuragi after shoving his face in front of Rukawa's

"Idiot" muttered Rukawa while shaking Akira's arm off and left leaving a sad looking Akira, and a very angry growling Sakuragi.

"Let's just go and meet the guys Hanamichi" smiled Akira at Sakuragi and started walking to the opposite side with him only to stop and take a last glance at Rukawa's back.

* * *

 _He was slammed against a cold wall under the pouring water of the shower head. He pulled Akira to him and stared back at him, then Akira smiled at him with a look in his eyes that he knew so well._

" _You did a really good job today, you turned the loss into a big win. So" Akira's head moved to Rukawa's face and moved his wet hair away of Rukawa's eyes "you deserve a reward Kaede" he said with a sensual tone while trailing a light kisses on Rukawa's neck._

" _You're injured Akira" said Rukawa in a small voice as he closed his eyes enjoying his lover's sinful lips._

" _I can't perform in court not in bed"_

" _We are not in bed"_

" _Shut up and enjoy it smart ass"_

* * *

He laid in his comfortable bed putting his two palms under his head and started staring at the ceiling, thought led to another until it was interrupted by his phone singling for a text message. It was Akira.

" _We had plenty of fun today, still not as fun as before. We really miss you, I miss you"_

He clearly wasn't in a relationship with Akira, they were like a night lovers, warming each other's beds when in need, and when next morning comes. They return to a teammates-rivals kind of relationship. At least that's what he thought. His loneliness is killing him and he wasn't aware of that, because of one night he lost everything he had, Basketball. And he'd like to believe that because of that he lost his teammates, and Akira.

* * *

"I have been receiving good news about your grades recently Kaede" he told his son with a satisfied tone looking at his son who was looking at everything but him " so I have something important to tell you" this time he gained Rukawa's attention.

"I thought about this for long time, since when you used to chase plastic balls. Yet thankfully now we got rid of that bad habit we can take a real decisions about your future"

He wasn't aware that he was drowning his son more and more in grief and misery, Rukawa shifted uncomfortably and gulped unnoticeably and looked down avoiding his father's eyes

"I'm sending you to America"

* * *

It's the same court, same time yet a lot of things are different now. The lights are off, there's no Akira nor any ball. It's funny how things changed since seven months ago, because back then he wouldn't wait for Akira. He will start playing as soon as he get there, and in no time Akira will come and steal the ball announcing the beginning of their challenge. Seven months ago, he was super/number one rookie Rukawa. Now, he is nothing but a mere person with a wrecked knee. Only trying to get the best grades just to get his father off his back.

He sighed and left the place, he has nothing to do in this place anymore. Looking up to the sky, it was a new moon that's being covered every now and then by clouds. It's clearly a night of memories, because that's how the sky looked Seven months ago.

* * *

 _He got home late after celebrating with his teammates their massive win, his father clearly didn't like that. They fought but not like any other fight, this time it was a real fight that led him to storm out of the house, he couldn't understand why his father isn't seeing what he had achieved so far. Everyone was talking about his talent, the national team couch cleared his intentions towards him. He has a place in the national team if he kept on what he's doing. Yet it's not satisfying to his father at all._

 _It's been a quite long time since he left the house, he doesn't remember. But he surely knows that he must return home now or his mom will go nuts, looking up to sky while walking. It was late at night, a new moon with a little of clouds covering the sky. He was looking at the sky as if trying to find an answer yet he can't see nothing but darkness. Little did he know about what's waiting for him._

 _The last thing he saw was a bright light flashing in his eyes and the sound of a stretching wheel. He felt a sharp pain in his whole body, his eyes were wide open looking at the sky yet he couldn't see anything. He heard a muffled sobs that followed by a shutting door sound, he tried to move or make a sound but failed. He was telling himself that he could bear this pain, he couldn't feel or see anything around him. He was only capable of feeling a bearable pain, yet he couldn't bear the pain of the car treading over his knee while running away._

* * *

 _He groaned in pain, every part of his body was aching. He felt like as if he was torn apart. Opening his eyes, it took some time to adjust the lights. Everything around him was white, plain white._

" _You finally woke up, good afternoon young man" a man dressed in white coat approached him, he checked something on his clipboard before looking at the devices around Rukawa._

" _You should be fine by now, do you know how much time you have been out?"_

 _Rukawa stayed silent singling to the doctor that he's not in the mood for a chit chat, which the doctor seemed to get it as he coughed before talking again._

" _Um it is been two days, yet we don't have any information about you"_

 _Ouch, that certainly pained him. He has been laid in a hospital bed for two days and his parents didn't care enough to search for him. He smirked mocking himself._

 _That day, when the hospital called his parents, only his mother showed up to discharge him. He wouldn't admit it but the fact that his father didn't show up hurts him like hell._

 _He didn't speak out his feelings, just kept everything inside because he thought he could handle it. Yet, when the doctor broke the news to him that his knee is now nothing but wrecked. He felt like his life was shattering in front of him, he usually wouldn't scream or cry in the presence of someone. But after looking at Akira's worried and tearful eyes, he poured everything out._

 _The look he gave him was something he was never used to it, he never clung to someone so desperately until now, what comforted him is the fact that it's Akira not someone else._

* * *

 _They were on a school trip to an orphanage, only basketball team players were sent out, after their outstanding performance on the national competition they gained a lot of attention and publicity, so an orphanage asked them to come for the sake of the children._

 _The bus ride was quite loud thanks to a certain red-headed, which thankfully ended faster than Rukawa thought, after arriving at the orphanage the couch split the players into pairs and assign them to do a certain assignments with the kids._

 _Rukawa was paired with Akira and they were assigned to cook some food for everyone with some kids, Akira headed to the kitchen quickly and he was followed by an admiring kids. Rukawa couldn't just leave to the kitchen quietly, he had to throw some mean remark at Sakuragi to piss him off and follow Akira afterwards._

 _When he entered the kitchen he found a girl and a boy sitting on a table playing with some food while Akira was standing before the stove with a girl beside him that stood on a chair trying to match Akira's height, who was putting a pan on his head and acting dump._

" _You lied you can't even put the pan where it supposed to be" the girl beside him giggled while watching Akira acting dump_

" _What? So you mean to tell me that you put the pan on the stove" he asked the girl in a surprised tone making the girl giggle again before nodding to him._

 _He put the pan on the stove and shrugged_

" _You sure know a lot"_

 _He was trying to entertain the girl, in a very very dump way, which Rukawa found it cute, but he will never admit that._

 _And yeah, that was the best burnt omelet he ever had._

* * *

" _Don't return without a grade" his father said with a firm tone as his mother was hugging him while sobbing._

 _She was sobbing and whispering apologies to him since two days, he didn't understand why. But he couldn't ask. As they stood before the gate his father repeated his words with a kinder tone and patted his head surprisingly. While his mom's sobbing got harder and her apologies got louder. But what struck him was when she hugged him for the last time she whispered_

" _I'm sorry, I've done a lot of horrible things to you. Including your injury, but it was all for you" then pulled away quickly, took her husband arm and headed as fast as she can out of the airport, leaving a confused and shocked Rukawa behind_

He rested his head on his seat before closing his eyes remembering his mother words, there is no way she was saying something this crazy. Maybe his father forced her to say that, but why would he do that?

He tightened his grip around the armor of the chair trying not to think too much of his mother's words, because it can't be true. But if it was, it was already too late. Trying to get his mother out of his mind, he jumped to Akira. When Akira knew about him leaving to America, he was running towards him screaming his name trying to stop him, but Rukawa never looked at him and got into the car ignoring him, his father drove away not aware of Akira who kept on running trying to catch up on time. But it was too late already.

He left everything behind, his home, parents, relatives, school, and friends.

He left Basketball, and Akira…

He let out a heaved sigh. He is more than half way to America now. He always thought about his trip to America, yet never thought it wouldn't be basketball related, but he is now going there not to play basketball but to study and get the grades his father wanted. He didn't refuse because he never thought of expressing his emotions to his father or anyone else. Realization hit him and made him think of all the things he wanted to do or say, but never allowed himself to do. Like kissing Akira and admitting his feelings to him and telling him how thankful he was for everything Akira did to him.

He left everything and now he is empty and nothing could ever fill up this emptiness.

The End

* * *

this is really embarrassing.. I'm sorry if it sucked.. but I'd still like to see what you think ^^'!


End file.
